diff --git a/src/include/switch_channel.h b/src/include/switch_channel.h
index 255516893d..49b563134c 100644
--- a/src/include/switch_channel.h
+++ b/src/include/switch_channel.h
@@ -210,6 +210,15 @@ SWITCH_DECLARE(char *) switch_channel_get_uuid(switch_channel_t *channel);
 */
 SWITCH_DECLARE(switch_status_t) switch_channel_set_variable(switch_channel_t *channel, const char *varname, const char *value);
 
+/*!
+  \brief Set a variable on a given channel, without duplicating the value from the session pool.
+  \param channel channel to set variable on
+  \param varname the name of the variable
+  \param value the vaule of the variable (MUST BE ALLOCATED FROM THE SESSION POOL ALREADY)
+  \returns SWITCH_STATUS_SUCCESS if successful
+*/
+SWITCH_DECLARE(switch_status_t) switch_channel_set_variable_nodup(switch_channel_t *channel, const char *varname, char *value);
+
 /*!
   \brief Retrieve a variable from a given channel
   \param channel channel to retrieve variable from
diff --git a/src/switch_channel.c b/src/switch_channel.c
index 958cd269b9..77874f7126 100644
--- a/src/switch_channel.c
+++ b/src/switch_channel.c
@@ -373,6 +373,23 @@ SWITCH_DECLARE(switch_status_t) switch_channel_set_variable(switch_channel_t *ch
 	return SWITCH_STATUS_FALSE;
 }
 
+SWITCH_DECLARE(switch_status_t) switch_channel_set_variable_nodup(switch_channel_t *channel, const char *varname, char *value)
+{
+	assert(channel != NULL);
+
+	if (varname) {
+		switch_core_hash_delete(channel->variables, varname);
+		if (!switch_strlen_zero(value)) {
+			switch_core_hash_insert_dup(channel->variables, varname, value);
+		} else {
+			switch_core_hash_delete(channel->variables, varname);
+		}
+		return SWITCH_STATUS_SUCCESS;
+	}
+
+	return SWITCH_STATUS_FALSE;
+}
+
 SWITCH_DECLARE(int) switch_channel_test_flag(switch_channel_t *channel, switch_channel_flag_t flags)
 {
 	assert(channel != NULL);